A cedar roof gives your home a beautiful, unique look that is incomparable to other roofing materials. Your cedar roof makes your home the envy of your neighbors. Cedar roofs not only give your home a beautiful style, but also add value to your home with their longevity and curb appeal.
If you have an authentic cedar roof, you have different requirements for caring for your roof compared to homeowners with roofs of different materials. Cedar roofs require more routine maintenance and care, but that extra work is worth it.
Your cedar roof is prone to having algae, moss, lichens and fungus grow on it. This growth can cause damage to your roof and must be cared for properly.
Why Is Moss Growing On My Roof?
The best conditions for moss growth are shaded and damp environments. Cedar naturally absorbs rain and other precipitation, but can usually dry quickly. However, if you have sections of your roof that are shaded by trees and other natural objects, your roof is the perfect place for moss to grow.
Moss growing on your roof may seem like a cosmetic problem, but it does more than that. The moss will hold more moisture, which can, in turn, damage your roof. This additional moisture becomes even more of an issue during the winter, when frost can cause even more damage.
If you have moss growing on your cedar roof, don't panic — there are safe methods of clearing it off of your roof and preventing it from growing in the future.
Removing Moss With Care
To remove moss from your cedar roof, you have a few options. You have the option of clearing the moss from the roof yourself, but you risk damaging the roof in the process. A cedar roof requires greater care than roofs made with other materials. You may actually end up doing more harm removing the moss yourself than what the moss would do to the roof if it stayed.
Your safest course of action is to hire a professional to inspect your roof and safely remove the moss and other things growing that should not be there.
If you were to leave the moss as it is, it could lead to the need for a full roof replacement. The cost of replacing your entire roof would be much higher than the cost to remove the moss. And the sooner you get started on the removal process, the better.
At Cedar Roof Coatings, we will come to your home to first complete a thorough inspection. With the information we gather from the inspection, we will recommend the best solution for your moss problem and will provide you with an estimated cost. We will remove the moss and repair any shingles that were damaged.
Preventing Future Moss Growth
We also offer the option of applying a product to your cedar roof that will protect your shingles or shakes from moss and other damaging elements. There are additional measures you can take as well to protect your cedar roof:
Trim trees: As we mentioned previously, moss grows the best in cool and moist conditions. While moss can grow on any part of your roof, it is more likely to grow on areas that do not receive as much sunlight. If you have many trees on your property, it may be a big contributor to the moss growing on your roof. Trimming those trees to allow your roof to receive more sunlight can help prevent more moss from growing.
Install copper strips: These strips can help lessen the growth of moss on your cedar roof. The metal strips are installed at the top of the roof. Then, when it rains, the runoff from the strips can kill off some of the moss.
Schedule routine maintenance: When a professional completes regular maintenance on your cedar roof, any moss growth will be taken care of quickly. This type of preventative care is important for keeping your roof in the best condition possible.
Taking these proactive measures will allow you to enjoy the beauty of your cedar roof for many years. If you are looking for cedar roof maintenance in Fairfield County, CT, or Westchester County, NY, please contact us today.